The Strength and Stigma of Sensitivity in the Workplace

Being highly attuned to your emotions and others can be key to success, but can also lead to overthinking and burnout.

Enjoy this excerpt from Chapter One from Melody’s new book, Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions into Success at Work, which comes out tomorrow, May 4th.

Kelly’s job was killing her spirit.

When she’d originally started as the Social Services Director at a large county agency six years before, she’d been excited to lead a team and to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children. All her mentors said that with her drive, she was perfectly positioned to step into a VP role, and within three years, she had been promoted to Vice President of Programs, Operations, and Administration.

During the first year in the role, her new responsibilities were demanding yet manageable, but Kelly’s team ended up short-staffed during her second year on the executive team. At first, Kelly didn’t mind. She loved her job and took pride in being the go-to person at the agency. Besides, she had been taught that good employees always go above and beyond, and that’s what she assumed she needed to do to continue advancing in her career.